For Jakob Ingebrigtsen – the reigning Olympic champion and holder of numerous world records and bests – defending his 1500m title in Paris should be a walk in the park, assuming he doesn’t get injured or sick.

Sounds like a hot take from your favorite track and field analysts and fans here at the Lap Count? Well, we didn’t actually come up with it. Instead, Ingebrigtsen said it himself during an appearance on the European Athletics podcast.

It’s one thing for a member of the press to fire off a take to stir the pot or attract some clicks. That’s the spin zone opinion that drives basically all sports media. But imagine LeBron James showing up to the pregame press conference during the NBA playoffs and saying, “We’re going to win in seven games as long as I suddenly get a reliable starting point guard, our bench greatly exceeds its historic production, and I am six years younger?” (The Lakers ultimately were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets.)

Coming out and saying you’re going to smoke everybody in Paris… unless the thing that has happened to you at the last two World Championships happens to you again… is a bold move, to say the least. That’s not how trash-talking works! Athletes don’t get asterisks next to their runner-up performances if they feel they could’ve won under different circumstances. And Josh Kerr’s medal is still just as gold.

Until someone else wins in Paris or cracks 3:27, Jakob is still the Olympic champion and the fastest 1500m runner in the world over the last three years. And it’s important to remember that the subtleties of shit-talking can get lost in translation and English is not his first language. But our pro-bono media advice is this: wait until you defend your gold, then at the post-race press conference talk about how much adversity you overcame to take the win. It’s always easier to talk the talk after you’ve walked the walk.